Miniature Slayers
by Kimiski
Summary: A collection of short stories, poems, one shots and scenes dealing with all the characters and their day to day lives in the world of The Slayers. My old one-shots "By This Fire" and "Love Letter" can be found here.
1. How You See Me

**Miniature Slayers**

"Miniature Slayers" is a collection of short stories, one shots, and scenes from the Slayers world written by me. I get too many ideas for things that should happen in fanfiction, and I just can't put all of them into the actual stories I end up writing, and there's no way I can create a whole new story based on one scene I can't fit anywhere. Thus I decided to give those scenes their own home here, so people can still enjoy them.

_**Miniature 1**  
Title: "How You See Me"__  
Characters__: Lina and Gourry  
Pairing__: LinaxGourry  
POV: Gourry  
Timeline: Takes place two years after Try. A couple months after Lina and Gourry have split ways with the others after a tiresome battle with Zelas and other mazoku over Lina's power to control LoN._

OoOoOoOoO

"I want to ask you something…" I looked over at her from the tree I was leaning against. Her knees were brought up to her chest, head resting on top, one arm wrapped around them and the other reaching out poking the stick she had in hand at the crackling fire. I couldn't read her eyes, they had a blankness to them as she gazed into the orange flames.

"What is it?" I asked. She lowered her head deeper into her knees.  
"After everything, how do you see me?" I sat up a little turning my body towards her.  
"What do you mean?" I asked completely confused. "You mean…" She peeked her left eye over her knee to glance at me. "Even if you do contain _her_ within you, you're still Lina right? It's not like I'm going to stop liking you or being with you because of that." She raised her head, looking at me in slight surprise, which a second later melted away to a warm smile.

"Thank you Gourry, but that's not really what I meant."  
"Then-" I started.

"Nevermind." She smiled still. I continued to look at her, her smile seemed somewhat unlike her now that I got a better look. It had an aura of being lost that came with it, almost like a sadness but not quite. The soft glow from the fire lit her face and her eyes…eyes that I had seen so much. In that moment her features seemed different to me than what I had remembered picturing her like this whole time. Her face was more narrow, eyes smaller, her nose was bigger and longer and her lips were fuller… the face of a woman.  
"You know…" I finally spoke. "Do you think you could ever give up this life?" She looked back up at me.

"One day, I suppose I'll probably return home and start my own business or something, but as far as living a completely normal life goes, I'm not sure how possible that is for me…what about you Gourry?" Her question caught me off guard. "We've been traveling together for around five years, what will you do after?" I thought hard about this for a few minutes giving Lina just enough time to sigh and glare at me. "Hello?" She asked me.

"Ah well…" I said shrugging. "Never really thought about it, I'd just assumed I'd be with you forever I guess." For some reason Lina gave another annoyed sigh.

"Idiot. Don't you ever want to get married, settle down and have kids or something?"

"Someday."

"Well you can't really follow me around forever then can you?" Now I was really starting to get confused.  
"Huh, why?" She pinched her nose in frustration.

"Oy, forget it."

"I don't get it, do you want me to stop traveling with you?"  
"Well, no!" She sputtered causing me to blink. "Look jellyfish, how is you're wife going to react to you hanging around another woman all day and night? You can't just follow me around forever like a lost puppy. For that matter you won't even be able to meet anyone if you keep following me around!"

"But Lina, that's not true. I've met loads of woman interested in me when I was with you…err…" Apparently that must have been a bad thing to say. Her eyes lowered in a death glare that was ablaze almost the same as the fire. Growling, she thrust the stick she was holding into the flames and watched as it burnt away. I wondered if she was imagining the stick to be me… "You really don't make any sense though…" I said quietly to myself not wanting to actually be the next thing that ended up I the fire. "I mean…oh!" My sudden exclamation made her look dangerously in my direction. "I think I get it now!"

"Genius you are…"

"But… you're acting like the stupid one…" I said pointing a finger at her.

"What!?" She shouted getting upset again.

"Come on, do you really still have to ask how I feel?" Her face fell into questioning as I reached my right hand into my pocket trying to pull something out if it. Finally I was able to remove the red stone I had been keeping in there for the past few months.  
"Is that..." Lina rushed over and yanked the stone from my hold. "It is!" She shrieked plopping on the dirt next to me so she could examine it more closely. "A Red Fire Stone! Gourry _where_ did you get this?" I could see the money signs light up in her eyes as she spoke.

"Hey! Don't even think about selling that!"

"Aw come on! You owe me for losing my sword of light!"

"_Your_ sword of light?! It was mine and I wasn't going to sell it to you anyway! And you're not selling that!"

"Why not?" She pouted. "This could put us up for nice inns and some good food for at least a few months!"

"Because one day I was hoping to get it placed on your wedding band!" I yanked the stone back from her as she sulked.

"A wedding band!? Why would you-" She went silent for a moment before snapping her head upward completely in my direction.

"I'd go down on one knee but- we're both already sitting…" I smiled.

**Authors Note:**  
Like it says, here I will upload poems, one-shots, short stories and scenes from my mind in the Slayers World. While all of them are Lina and Gourry oriented now, mostly because I find them easiest to write about and they are my favorite Slayers couple, not all stories will focus on them. I plan to focus on individual characters, other relationships, and you might just find a couple fanon relationships in future stories, it just depends on what I write. My previous shorts, "Love Letter" and "By This Fire" will be deleted as individual one-shots and moved here.


	2. Love Letter

_**Miniature 2**__  
__Title:__ "Love Letter"  
__Characters:__ Lina and Gourry  
__Pairing:__ LinaxGourry  
__POV:__ Gourry  
__Timeline:__ Gourry can't figure out why he feels the way he does about Lina. But in this love letter to her, its his heart that does the talking, not his mind._

OoOoOoOoO

To whom I can't admit my love

From I who secretly love you everyday

To whom I cant admit my love, I love you. Neither of us realize it yet, but I love you with all my heart. We travel side by side together, unknowingly caring for each other. I see your eyes swell with tears when I fall, and glisten with joy as I rise. The way my heart collapses to nothing when you fall, and when you rise, it flutters up higher then the moon. I don't know it yet, but the reason I keep on traveling with you, is because I never want to leave your side. I don't know it yet, the reason why whenever I see your lovely face, why a fire is lit inside, and I feel as though I want to take you in my arms, kiss you, and never let go. To whom I cant admit my love, I love you endlessly. To whom I can't admit my love, I hope that you can wait for me, until I realize how I truly feel.

Unknowing Love,

I who secretly loves you everyday.

**Authors Note:****  
**My assignment in Creative Writing was to write a Love Letter. I thought, "A Love letter, how freaking cheesy and corny." But then I got well... creative. I thought about my Slayers story I'm working on, and how Gourry just can't figure out why he feels the way he does about Lina. So I wrote a love letter from Gourry's heart to Lina.


	3. By This Fire

_**Miniature 3**__  
__Title:__ "By This Fire"  
__Characters:__ Lina and Gourry  
__Pairing:__ LinaxGourry  
__POV:__ Gourry  
__Timeline:__ One year after TRY. A short poem about Gourry's oath to protect Lina during a time of crisis._

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_The fire crackles  
Night to dawn  
An empty feeling  
I sit with you  
You're not alone  
Fast asleep  
Inside my arms  
All my mind can think about  
Is you  
Nightmares keep me up all night  
about loosing you  
at any time  
Pictures I don't understand  
Of you and me  
Dancing in my head.  
Happily.  
What is this feeling deep down inside  
More then just  
Friendship ties?  
I know your scared  
Of the war ahead  
A bloody battle  
Of fear and dread  
I know your tired  
Of being the one  
Who is always  
Depended on.  
Even though you don't let it show  
Yes I know your tied  
Of hiding it too  
So for tonight  
Get some sleep  
And dream of  
wonderful things  
For tonight  
Stay warm in my grasp  
Let me be the one  
To give comfort to you  
For tonight  
By this fire  
I swear to you my life  
I will never  
Let you die._

**Authors Note:  
**An old picture I really want to redo to this poem also called "By the fire" can be found on my DeviantArt page. Google Deviantart, search for Kimiski, click on a link to my name, in my gallery to the left there is a folder that says, "Slayers fan art." Look in there for the picture and other Slayers fan art, drawn and colored by me.


	4. Child of Mine

_**Miniature 4**__  
__Title:__ "Child Of Mine"  
__Characters:__ Lina and LoN  
__Pairing:__ n/a  
__POV:__ Lord of Nightmares  
__Timeline:__ My wonders of why is Lina so powerful, how could she invent the Giga Slave, why is she the one constantly under the watch of Mazoku like Xellos, Zelas, and Dynast and why is she so special lead to this._ _A look into the mysterious relationship between Lina Inverse and the Lord of Nightmares._

OoOoOoOoO

Oh child of mine who can use my powers, how strong is your will? What is your plan? Why do you seek my powers? To save your friends?

Oh child of mine who has seen so much, why do you keep fighting to survive? Too see another day? To watch the sun rise?

Oh child of mine who is fickle in love, why do you seem to shine more than any other child of mine? Why does your body fit so well with mine?

Oh child of mine, you have become special to me. Who ever knew a human like you, could call upon the dreams that terrify.

Oh child of mine with eyes as red as blood, how would you like to look at the world, through the eyes of gold?

**Authors Note:  
**LoN is amazing; I love her, her character, the mystery around her, her power, her nature… I originally wrote this as the 'about me' for my Gaia Online LoN Avi, but liked it so much I had to do something else with it too.


	5. In the Hallway

_**Miniature 5**__  
__Title:__ "In the Hallway"  
__Characters:__ Lina and Zelgadis  
__Pairing:__ LinaxZelgadis  
__POV:__ Lina  
__Timeline:__ Four years of knowing each other… one year after TRY…Gourry has recently just found out about Zelgadis feelings for Lina. _

OoOoOoOoO

I felt his arms grip me tighter from behind, pulling my body closer to his. His head slowly dropped down to rest at the base of my neck.  
"Zel." I said in monotone. We were alone this time. There was no Gourry to walk in on us, he was fast asleep. I know. I made sure of it before getting up to take my bath, wanting to avoid his gaze… or rather, wanting to avoid his lack of one. Zelgadis knew it too… knew Gourry wouldn't be around this time either.  
"I told myself I wouldn't love you, Lina." He spoke. I just stood there allowing him to hold me, unable to move away. "I knew you loved Gourry…" My face winced slightly. "…but after four years you two still…" Zelgadis's voice carried off.  
I couldn't say anything, and I had so much I wanted too that my mind couldn't decide what should come first.  
"I love you Lina…" He spoke against my back. "Not only for what you are, but for what I am, when I am with you."

**Authors Note:  
**This is based off three things… first, a picture I did long ago on DevArt. Then the picture was based off an idea for a scene in this fanfiction idea of mine, that I most likely will never write, and it plays with the idea of Lina, Gourry and Zel in a love triangle. And the scene idea came from a quote I read online somewhere and liked… which is what the last thing Zelgadis says in this scene is, minus him using her name in it.


	6. On The Landing

_**Miniature 6**__  
__Title:__ "On The Landing"  
__Characters:__ Lina and Gourry  
__Pairing:__ LinaxGourry  
__POV:__ n/a  
__Timeline: __About half a year after the events of TRY. Lina and Gourry, traveling alone, get mixed into another mess in a city after taking what they thought was a simple job. Finally, everything settles down, and they are traveling once more… _

OoOoOoOoO

"Gah, it's raining again!" Lina picked her cape up over her head as she ran for some cover under a near by tree, splashing mud all over her black boots as she went. Her counterpart, a tall very handsome young man with long blonde hair continued to follow her in his steady pace, not seeming to be all too bothered by the sudden downpour. As he reached the tree's somewhat protective shelter, he began ringing out his hair. "Winter's coming sooner than I expected this year. We're not going to be able to camp outside anymore, pretty soon."

"Hmm…" said the blonde still twisting his long golden locks as he stared out into the dripping grey sky. "What about that tent we have?"

"Well sure, that can get us by for now but once winter hits it's not going to stand up to the cold or if it snows. I'm already- achoo! Sick of this weather!" Lina rubbed her nose and hugged her cape closer around her body. "Wah!" The sensation of something wet and cool on her skin caused her to jump slightly. "W-what are you doing?" She asked Gourry as she looked up to find his hand on her forehead.

"Lina, you have a fever!" He said it like it was the end of the world. "Why didn't you say something if you weren't feeling well?!"

"I'm fine!" She knocked away his hand. "You don't need to make such a fu-NOW WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" She screeched as Gourry put one of his hands around her waist.

"What? I was going to help you walk over to an inn we can stay at until you get better. There's one not that far from here, I saw it as we were walking down that hill…"

"I don't need help walking over to an inn!" She wrenched his hand away from her waist and began walking on her own in a huff. After a few seconds, she stopped in mid stride and turned around. "Well, are you coming or what?!" She rounded on him after noticing he wasn't following her, but staying behind under the trees brush.

"Yeah…" He said rather tonelessly and quietly making Lina perk an eyebrow at the sudden change of attitude. She continued forward towards the inn with Gourry trailing slightly behind her, both walking in silence.

The inn smelled slightly of rotting wood and the walls had cracks all along them with some wallpaper falling off here and there, but all that mattered to Lina was that is was warm…dry… cheap… and supplied food. After a much-needed meal, Lina thought, she brought up the question of where they should head to next when morning came.

"I say we travel somewhere nice and warm, and look for a job there perhaps. What do you think?"

"Sure, sounds good to me." Gourry said still gnawing at the remaining pieces of meat on a bone. "Wherever you want to go."

"So you don't care at all where we go?" Lina scowled. "You'll just go wherever."

"Yeah, pretty much." He said absent mindedly, still trying to make sure no meat was wasted.

"Even… Elmekia?" Gourry looked up from the bone he was holding.

"No." He said with a serious tone.

"Well then you wouldn't go _anywhere_ would you… there's absolutely no place you wanna check out?" Finally deciding that any eatable meat he had already consumed, Gourry put the bare bone on his plate and looked up at the ceiling to think about this.

"Hmm, well there is one place." He said.

"Well, then speak up!"

"How about… Zefielia?"

"No." Her response was about the same as his only quicker, and she seemed to have become flushed all of a sudden. "W-why would you wanna go there?"

"Well why do you want to go to Elmekia… Lina? Lina!" Gourry immediately rose from his chair, knocking over their drinks spilling them across the table. Lina clutched her forehead and closed her eyes, trying to ignore the pain as she dropped down onto the table.

"I'm fine." Lina said dully, waving Gourry away with her left hand as he came around her, placing his hand on her back and leaning over to look at her face. For a second time, Lina felt a cool sensation cover her forehead and her own hand holding it.

"You've gotten even warmer, even your hands are warm now…" He took her hand away from her forehead, holding it in his own.

Lina froze for a moment unable to speak before she shouted, "Stop making such a fuss!" Wrenching her hand out of his grip, she started to stand but slightly buckled under her own weight. Gourry caught her, looking onward with concern in his eyes. "I'm just a bit dizzy… headache."

"You're sick, you need to get some sleep, I'll take you…"

"I'm not sick, the inn is a little too warm is all. And for the last time…" She walked away leaving nothing but air in Gourry's outstretched arms. "I don't need your help."

The rain lashed against the roof. Lina sat on the landing atop the stairs she took to go to her room and sleep… only she didn't feel like sleeping. The bed was small but comfortable, but as she layed on it, her mind began to race and an hour later, she abandoned any attempt and decided to go back downstairs, when she remembered Gourry hadn't come up yet. So there she was, on the landing…

She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall, taking in the coolness it gave off against her skin. She could fall asleep here perhaps… listening to the rain against the cool wall… "Lina?" She opened her eyes and looked down the staircase to see Gourry standing on one of the steps, a look of surprise on his face. "You're not asleep?"

"I'll go now…"

"Wait!" Gourry grabbed onto her just in time, as Lina's foot slipped when she tried to stand and walk away. Lina pushed herself out of his grasp, said a quiet 'thanks' and began to walk towards her room.

_**Slam! **_

Gourry slammed his left hand infront of Lina's face against the wall, blocking her from walking away. His other hand was curled into a first, blocking her from behind. He had trapped Lina against the cool wall with his entire body.

"Why do you keep pushing me away all of a sudden?" He asked angrily, but not demandingly.

"What are you talking about?" She didn't look up to meet his stare.

"Ever since we finished that job in Dils you've been keeping your distance from me. Why?"

Lina bit her bottom lip. "It has nothing to do with that! I'm just sick of you fussing over me all the time! I'm not a kid remember!"

"I know you're not a kid! You're strong! I know how strong you are on your own Lina but… why can't you let me protect you?" Lina slowly looked up into his blue eyes, which reflected her own pained expression like a giant pool of water. When she opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out she closed it and swallowed, knowing looking down would do no good. Gourry already saw her face. "Does this… have anything to do with what happened there?" He knew her too damn well… "I would gladly die for you, if it meant saving your life… "

"But I don't want you too!" She let slip out. For a second she hesitated to say anything more before continuing, " How do you think that would make _me_ feel if you just decided on your own to throw your life away for mine!" She felt extremely foolish, and she her whole body was really starting to feel warm now. All she wanted to do was go to bed, wakeup, and they would travel together discussing the types of food they wanted to try in wherever they were headed.

Moving was impossible, Gourry wouldn't let her leave. She didn't feel like trying to take him on at the moment, and even if she did, she knew if Gourry was serious, she could never beat him when it came to brute strength. Then again… she did still have her magic…

"You've risked your life for mine, why can't I do it for you?"

"Because…"

"Because?"

"Because… I don't want to… to…lose you…" Lina's whole body was warm and slightly shaky, her heart pounding in her chest and her face burned like the sun. All she could see before closing her eyes were stands of sunlit colored hair. A sweet smell she had known for so long, being the only thing her nose seemed too able to pick up. Taking it all in, Lina's feet rose from the ground, her left arm grabbing onto the fabric of his shirt to help lift her, the other sliding behind his back and into his hair, Lina returned the kiss.

They broke apart, breathing heavily and unsure of what would happen next. As they started in each other's eyes trying to get a read on what the other thought of this new situation Gourry spoke, "I don't want to lose you either…"

And they kissed again.

**Authors Note:**  
This story, or rather the last scene came to mind after seeing this amazing drawing by rally-ae on DeviantArt, of Gourry and Lina kissing atop a landing, entitled "Slayers- En el rellano." From the way Gourry had his hands on the wall trapping Lina there, to what seemed to be a pained expression on her face, I wrote this little story dedicated to rally-ae and the amazing drawing that really touched me and excited my fandomness of Lina and Gourry. You can find her drawings at (www. rally-ae.deviantart. com) without the spaces.


	7. Truth

_**Miniature 7**__  
__Title:__ Truth  
__Characters:__ Lina, Gourry, Zelgadis, Amelia, Xellos, LoN, Dolphin, Zelas, and Dynast.  
__Pairing:__ LinaxGourry  
__POV:__ n/a  
__Timeline: __A year after TRY. Lina and the others are in the midst of a climactic battle with the three remaining mazoku lords and Xellos._

OoOoOoOoO

"Lina!" Everyone's voice called out to her once more, strained and weak. Zelgadis collapsed to the floor, no longer able to hold his own weight, his wound re-opening staining his silver-white robes with crimson red blood.

"Zel!" Amelia knelt down next to him, placing her hands gently on his back, her eyes brimming with tears.

"It's nothing Amelia… it won't kill me…" She looked unsure at his words, but there was nothing she could do about it even if she wanted too. The barrier Zelgadis, Gourry and herself had been placed in by one of the mazoku lords, blocked any effect a healing spell would have. "We have to… Lina…"

"Arrrhhhh!" Lina screamed out in agony for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Lina!" Gourry screamed back. He was as close to the barrier as possible, down on his own knees, his hands pressed against the wall of their cage. Xellos hovered above them like a guard dog while his master and the other demon lords had their way with Lina.

She was also a prisoner, but there was no need for any sort of restraints to keep her from running away or defending herself, she was a prisoner of nothing but their spells. As the demon lords circled above her decrepit form laying motionless and weak below them, they cast what seemed to be like random spells upon her, causing her to scream out in pain.

"Stop! What are you doing to her? Lina!" Gourry lowered his fore-head to rest against the invisible wall as Lina's latest scream slowly died away, echoing in his ears.

"Now, now Dynast…" Cooed Zelas "You don't want to be too rough with her, just enough to probe within. We don't want her dead… yet…" Dynast closed his eyes, huffed, and whipped back his hair coolly with his left hand. Zelas knew perfectly well that he recently gained a personal vendetta against Lina Inverse. She should have also known that when she has asked him to help take part in this event, that he would want her dead.

"Not all of us…" Dynast said opening his eyes. "Still have our priests and generals anymore, Beastmaster Zelas." He looked up at the swaying purple hair floating above the humans some few yards away.

"Do not worry, you will have your justice Dynast. But for now, you know why this girl must be kept alive."

"And what do you plan I do, if we discover we _cannot_ kill the girl?"

"Did the blonde man not assist in the killing of your dear Sherra?" Dynast paused for a slight moment, keeping his monotonic expression fixed on Zelas's wide smile.

"It will not bring the same satisfaction… but alright." He agreed.

"N…no…" A weak and brittle voice came from under the mazoku lords's feet. "Don't… touch…" The lords turned their gaze below them to watch the figure of a woman inch along the ground towards the group of humans. Lina pulled herself forward, digging her nails as hard as she could into the stone ground, her arms working to pull the rest of her limp and useless body with her. Her hair fell in every direction over her face as she kept facing stone.

"Still able to move?" A bubbly voice giggled "You were right Zelas-sama, this human _is_ a fighter. Still…" The female lord known as Deep Sea Dolphin looked at Lina with renowned interest. "I still cannot believe this human, or any human, could be connected to our great lord in anyway. Especially the way you seem to believe."

"Trust me Dolphin, this one is special…"

"Don't… touch…"

"Lina!"

_WOOSH!  
_  
_"EIYYAAHHHH!"_

_"LINAAA!"_

Lina's outstretched hand reached for Gourry, and he answered her with her name. They would never be allowed to reach, not this way. Even if she could; even if she wasn't hurt and in pain and could reach him, even if Gourry wasn't sealed from running to her, being able to scoop her in his arms and protect her from their attacks, they would never allow it. Zelas fired another spell directly at Lina's wounded form.

"Get out!" She cried gripping her head in agony. "Get out of my head! Get-"

... "Li…na…"

The sorceress's brilliant ruby red eyes became blank as she slowly fell to the ground… and didn't move.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Li…Na….. _Lina!!! LINA!!!_" Gourry lifted himself from the ground, throwing his whole body weight into smashing open a way to escape. Xellos's eyes flickered down to his attempt smirking.

"At last… her mind and soul are ours…Dynast." Dynast moved his hand upright into the air, Lina's body mimicking it. Like a rag doll, she swayed into place as her knees propped her up from the floor, her head tilted back so her blank eyes stared up at the endless ceiling. "Now, hopefully, we will be able to decide what to do with you Lina Inverse… after we discover, just what you are and how you may be able to help us… or die." Zelas stepped forward, her silver hair and white gown flowing behind her. She stopped when she reached Lina, and carefully, placed her hand upon her forehead.

"What are you doing to her? Stop it! Lina!" Gourry hollered.

"There's no escape." Xellos said floating closer to them, speaking more towards Zelgadis. Gripping his side to try and ease the pain as he moved, Zelgadis swiveled around on his toes, trying to find a weak spot they could possibly destroy. "Even if you found a way out, you cannot use magic in there."

"Bastard." Zelgadis growled. "What do you intend to do with her?"

"Oh, this and that." He replied.

"Don't play games with me!" Zelgadis roared trying to jump at him, forgetting about his wounds and the invisible wall. His body gave a lurch before it crumpled back down. Amelia grabbed onto him from behind, trying to slow down the abrupt fall. "What…" He panted. "What the fuck are you doing to her? What are you after?"

"Hmph." Xellos smiled. "I'm afraid, that is a secret."

A burst of light brought all of them calling out Lina's name once more. She was surrounded in it, a bright burning white light, but the light had no warmth to it, no sense of security. This light, Lina did not want to be in. Something was inside her, tearing her apart, going deeper, and deeper. To the very core of her soul, and flooding her mind. It was as if the light was searching for something inside of her, trying to force it out of her, and in the process… it was painful. Would the pain go away if they found it? Or would she… disappear if they found it? She could feel the pain start to flood closer to her heart, and at the same time, leaking into her mind, prying at what she thought she left behind her.

She was there, yet she wasn't. She was happy, yet she felt miserable. _"I saved his life… that's all that matters… yet…" _She would never see him again, and something inside of her began to pain. _"To save this man…" _Came a voice from inside her that wasn't her own. _"You sacrificed the world… and yourself… to save this man… I don't understand…"_ Lina closed her eyes. No one needed to understand but her. Right now and forever, Lina knew Gourry would always be the most important person to her. _"Lina…Lina… Lina!!" _The voice was distant, but there was no mistaking who it was. _"The man calls out to you… following you to your death after you have saved him… it is love…" _In this form, Lina did not know if she could cry, but something tore at her, and she felt brimming tears. _"Lina! I need you. Please come back… Lina!" _Lina wrapped her arms around her body. _"I want to come back… I… but…"  
"Then so be it…" _Came the other voice from inside her. _"You have intrigued me… I would very much like to see how this turns out…my child, Lina Inverse…"_

"Lina?" For the first time since they had stolen Lina away from him, Gourry tore his eyes away from her. He glanced behind him, but there was no one there except Amelia and Zelgadis, who were staring ahead where he once had seeming not to notice anything. He could have sworn at that instance, he heard Lina's voice saying his name from behind. Gourry made to turn his head back around, but then he heard it again. "Lina?" He asked into the nothingness. Suddenly he felt something next to him, a kind of presence. Then a whisper came into his ear.

"_Gourry Gabriev_." It said fluidly. Ah. Now he understood. This was the voice he had heard. It was not Lina's, but for some reason it felt like a part of Lina's. Like they were the same voice, only a different person was speaking, adding their own flare to it. "_You wish to save her. I have helped her save you, now I will help you save her." _Immediately as if a box of sealed memories inside him burst open, he understood the confusion of their voices and recognized who was speaking to him.

"You!" Gourry gasped still taking in the images of that day. Running… jumping…leaping… reaching… losing…crying…gaining… and kissing… "Why?" He asked in astonishment trying to put that last image in the back of his head for now. "Why do you want to help us?" There was a moment's pause before she spoke to him again.

_"Only one can use my power, I cannot lend you any. However… I will protect you…"_

"Wait!" Gourry called out as the voice began to fade.

"W-what is this!!??"

"Gourry?!"

First Gourry looked to the panicked mazoku lords as a golden light took over the white that once surrounded Lina. Then he looked over to Zelgadis's widened eyes and Amelia's pointed finger. He traced the invisible path she had created leading his gaze to rest upon himself, which was also glowing gold.

_"Step though it…"_ Without any word to his friends, Gourry walked through the wall of their prison like there never was one to begin with. He started running, closing in the distance between himself and Lina, his whole mind and body working towards and thinking of nothing but reaching her. Behind him Amelia and Zelgadis tried to follow but were stopped by their cage, like nothing had changed. Xellos was the first to notice the escape, momentarily taken aback by the whole thing. He fired an attack to stop him but the spell was absorbed like it was nothing at all. Xellos knew it then, even though he didn't understand it. He had seen it once before, and knew there was nothing he could do about it, not as long as the golden light still remained. Instead he would watch, and try to understand, just what was going on in his lord's mind.

"Dolphin!" Dynast called. "Ugh." He tired to stand his ground as the force of the light around Lina kept trying to push him back. Deep Sea Dolphin had already been pushed back along with Zelas, who tried to teleport next to Xellos as she went and failed. No one was allowed to leave this plane during this gold storm

There was nothing and no one to stand in Gourry's way, yet it seemed like it was taking a lifetime to reach her. He wanted her safe in his arms. Now. "Lina!" He could see her closely now. Her sweat drenched face, her energy drained body, her frizzled red hair… The two lights began to merge into one as Gourry got closer to her, reaching out his arms he strained his fingertips to touch hers, finally their tips met… and everything went black.

_"I can feel it. The one who will be able to hold my power will be born… the one who will hold my heart, my human child…my human self…"  
_  
"Is someone there?" Gourry barely opened his eyes as if not wanting to let any light in, but there was no light to seep in. He was falling, or floating, surrounded by nothing but pitch black.

_"Are you the one? No… you hold power for someone else… but I can feel the same power flowing off you…my child… will be born from the same womb. However… I cannot take the chance of being killed after birth. I will seal this entity's magic…" _The sound was coming from behind him. He sluggishly turned his head to peer over his back, his body following him. The blackness vanished, and a blinding white light began to swallow him whole. Gourry blinked, trying to reestablish his sight. When he could focus it he found himself in a small room, recognizing it as a healing room. There was a woman lying on a bed, wrapped in white sheets and holding a small baby in her arms while the man next to her, which Gourry found very familiar, smiled and kissed the baby and his wife.

"What would you like to name her?" The man asked.

"Luna…" The woman smiled bringing her baby closer to her face.

The scene changed before him, melting into another memory that was not his. This time he was inside what appeared to be a magic shop or above one where the family lived. But the store was closed, as the father and mother sat in their room with the door closed, a small purple haired child sat in another room, coming the hair on a doll.

"She is amazing… her talent…" The mother said.

"A Knight of Cepheid…" The father stood staring out the window. "Our daughter." He was not afraid, but proud.

"She cannot use magic… you will teach her…" The scene melted away again revealing a large garden of many different flowers. The same child, but a little older, sat in the middle of it taking in the breeze and staring up at the sky.

"Luna?" It was her mother followed by her father who had his arm wrapped around his wife. They were both smiling. "Luna, honey, there is something your father and I would like to tell you…" The wind picked up carrying her mother's scent to her, and something inside the little girl knew.

"Is it time then?" Luna asked.

"Hm?" The mother asked not noticing the difference in her child's voice, or perhaps, ignoring it.

"Mama is having a baby?" The voice sounded more like Luna, but her parents were taken aback.

"How did you know?" She didn't answer; she just started at her mother's face, with cool blank eyes.

The young Luna stood outside the healing room Gourry has first found himself in. He heard the sound of crying, then rejoicing. As the curtains were drawn to let in the light, the door cracked open and Luna was beckoned inside. Gourry followed. The child ran to her mother's side soon followed by her father.

"You have a baby sister." Luna stood on her toes straining to get a better look when her father lifted her up in his arms so she could see. She reached down, touching her new born sisters fingers. "Her name is Lina. Lina Inverse."

Gourry could see them growing up, playing together, getting in trouble, getting into fights, Luna's swordsman ship, Lina's magic, the mischief, more fighting, some comforting… more love…he saw it all. Eventually Lina would grow older, she would travel with her sister, she would make her name, then she would go off on her own, and one day… he would meet her.

"Lina!" Gourry was in the middle of a forest, watching a six year old Lina running from her sister as fast as she could, smiling. "Lina, get back here!"

"Only if you can catch me! Ray Wing!" Mini Lina rose into the air and began to speed forward. She managed to get about a quarter of a mile away before jerking and coming to a abrupt stop, falling to the dirt path. "Dang it… I thought I had that one…hm?" Lina crossed her eyes as something glittering fell on her nose. She turned for the source as she picked herself up from the ground.

Coming from inside the forest were more small glittering lights, wafting towards her. She didn't need to walk far to find the source. Lying there against a tree was the most beautiful woman Lina had ever seen. She had pale skin that sparkled when the light touched her through the trees, long golden hair. The woman looked up as Lina approached her revealing enchanting golden eyes, and making Lina stop dead in her tracks. For what felt like a long while, they just stood there, staring at one another. "H-hey…" Lina choked out. "Are you okay?" She didn't look hurt or bruised, but exhausted.

"You are the girl…Lina Inverse."

"You know me?"

"Of course I know you. We are the same person."

"Huh?"

"This is what I get… for trying to be reborn like this…" Lina gasped and backed away as the woman in front of her began to fade away and become transparent. "I cannot make you fully awaken, and definitely not now… so I will hide this piece of me inside you as well. Until the time is right…when you can fully accept me…"

"What are you doing?" More and more the woman faded and as she did, she pushed her incomplete body away from the tree, reaching out her hand for Lina's. Whether she wanted to or not, Lina reached out her own hand, and took it. There was an explosion of gold light, Luna screaming in the background, and Lina's body falling to the floor like a lifeless corpse.

"_…ourry…Gourry…_Gourry!_"_

_"_What?" He shouted jumping up from his resting place against a pile of hay. Zelgadis grabbed onto his shoulders.

"Calm down. We're at an _abandoned_barn house, a few miles away from that underground stone place." When Gourry still looked at him on confusion, Zelgadis continued. "When you grabbed a hold of Lina, you fell unconscious as well. Luckily you were still surrounded by… the mazoku couldn't get to you. Then all of a sudden, the spell around us broke. We got to you two just before the mazoku noticed us, and right as the light around you began to fade. Amelia and I cast Ray Wings and flew out of there, not looking back and not stopping till we couldn't fly anymore. I don't know why, but for some reason, they didn't follow us, Xellos held them back."

"Where is… Lina?"

"Resting. Amelia is with her." Zel nodded his head over to the opposite side of the wall where Lina was sleeping on another pile of hay, and Amelia was deep in concentration, casting what Gourry figured was a healing spell. Even with the knowledge that Lina was with him, and that the mazoku lords were far behind them, with no current intent to come after them, he could not settle down. Something kept picking at him, making him feel nauseous.

"Are you okay?" Zelgadis asked rather sternly.

"I… I really don't know… I saw…" And he swallowed, not saying anymore. He felt Zel shift his weight and sit down next to him, staring at him intensely. It seemed, Xellos wasn't the only one who had caught on.

"Gourry." He turned to look at his chimera friend. "I know what that light was. It's a memory I can't easily forget. What happened in there?"

"N-nothing."

"It surrounded you, helped you escape and get to her. Then it covered you both, and you fell into the same state as she did. You look spooked as hell. So what aren't you telling me?"

"I-"

"Gourry!" Zelgadis grabbed onto his arm, shaking him. Their eyes met with such intensity it was like the room around them just rose a few degrees in heat.

"I saw…something. I'm not really sure what. But I saw everything. The mazoku were searching for answers… and I saw it… " He buried his head into his hands trying to ease the sudden pain he felt. Not just in his head, but all over his body, and in his chest.

"What did you see?"

"I think… Zelgadis I think…" He looked back up, curling his fists into balls and placing them in his lap. He saw his own frightened face, reflected back in Zelgadis's frightened face. "I think Lina… is the reincarnation of Lord of Nightmares."

**Authors Note: **  
Whoo sah, this thing took forever. Based off a picture I drew and a dream I had. The picture will be uploaded to my DevArt account when I can get to coloring it on my dead family PC. I like the beginning, but I feel the end was rushed, so forgive that. I just really wanted to get it done.


	8. Trapped Feelings

_**Miniature 8**  
Title:_ Trapped Feelings  
_Characters: Lina, Gourry, Naga, Amelia, Zelgadis  
Pairing: LinaxGourry  
POV: Lina  
Timeline: After TRY. The gang, together with Naga and Xellos are traveling together while another great plot unfolds. During their trips, Lina and Gourry's relations are being tested more and more, especially after one night when it was made obvoius to Gourry that someone close to him may have feelings for his red-headed traveling companion. _

"What the?" I heard the door to the bathroom open and then close, locking as it did so. Turning the water off, I opened the shower door slightly and peeked my head out only to scream and yank the door back shut with an incredible slamming force. I had just come face to face with the person I least wanted to see at the moment, naked or not. As I gripped tightly onto the door handle I heard Gourry waving about frantically trying to get out before slipping and falling to the floor. "W-what the hell are you doing?" I sputtered. I could feel my entire body start to warm, that had nothing to do with the hot shower.

"Me?" He choked from the ground. "What are you doing hiding in there?"

"Idiot, I'm not hiding! I _was_ taking a shower!" I retorted.

"But, she said-"

"She?" And then we heard it, the sound always associated with trouble.

"Ahhhahaha…." That laugh… that damn sinister laugh…

"Naga!" I shrieked from inside the shower, my voice echoing. "What's this about?!"

"I just thought dear Gourry here, would like a nice washing up." She laughed again, and I almost punched a hole in the wall.

"With me IN IT?" There was a short pause before…

"You never know Lina that could be true." If it was even possible, I got even warmer. Ugh, please don't let that jellyfish brains understand something like that of all things. "Well, I'll be off kiddies. Have fun. Ahhhaahaaa…"

"Naga! Don't you dare leave! Get your ass back here! Naga!" Damn it. She had left already. "Gourry, get out!!" I snapped.

"I can't." I heard him say. "It's locked. Huh, how is it locked from the outside…"

"I don't care how it's locked! Break it down if you have to!" Through the foggy glass of the shower door I could see him continue to stand there in his towel and stare at the bathroom door, his back still turned my way.

"I think there's a spell on it. I can't break it down." I about lost my mind, wanting to pull my hair out in every direction. "Why don't you just come out and use another spell to open it?"

"I'm not coming out there you numbskull, I'm naked! All my towels are in the basket in the changing room!"

"It's not like you have to hide much-" _Thwack! _I threw a shampoo bottle over the top of the shower door, smacking him directly in the face and sending him into the spell locked door. He peeled the bottle off his face saying nothing at this defense, pissing me off even more because I couldn't give a witty comeback to add to the stinging of his cheek, and things settled into an odd atmosphere. "Jerk." My voice was just above a whisper as I quietly slid down into the corner of the shower.

A few moments passed in complete silence, Gourry leaning against the door, his head tilted and staring at the right wall, and myself, sitting in the corner of the shower. "What wrong?" he asked as I shifted positions in the shower to draw my lower body closer to my upper body, making a slight shivering noise as I did it.

"Cold." Was all I said.

"Then you should get out."

"If I could, I would have by now." I tried as hard as possible to keep my frustration and my voice from meeting. A few more silent moments, and my body shook slightly from the wet cold. Gourry was now staring blankly at the shower door, and even though I knew he wouldn't be able to see any specifics, knowing that he could still see a light blur that was my skin didn't help settle any feelings.

"Lina, are you mad at me or something?" Oh nuh uh…. I swear this guy could be a complete and total moron. "You've been avoiding me lately…" I sank my hands into my crossed arms and bit the bottom of my lip. Was he serious? "If I did something, you should tell me…" I snapped.

"You're the one who's mad at me aren't you!" Damn… frustration, meet voice.

"Huh?"

"Don't act like you're not!"

"Why would I be mad at you?" I know he couldn't see it but, ohhh… I was glaring.

"You tell me, Gourry." I could his blurry figure raise his hand to scratch his head.

"Well, I guess I've been grumpy lately, but I can't figure out why I'd be mad at you." My throat went dry and it suddenly became very hard to swallow.

"You've been acting odd, ever since…" It was like someone had ripped my mouth wide open and lodged a nut deep in my throat. "The nigh you saw…Zel and I met outside to talk…" Not so much "talked" though, but there's no way I could sound what had really happened. Just the knowing was weighing on me, let alone actually "saying" it.

"But…" My heart skipped a beat, and then began to beat faster. I propped myself upward slightly, hands pressed against the cool tile of the shower walls. I'm not sure what I was expecting him to say exactly, but I just wanted him to say something, anything, to recognize… "Why would seeing you and Zel together that night put me in a bad mood?" I couldn't take it anymore.

"Lina!" Gourry looked up in surprise as the shower door flew open and I stepped out of it. I quickly ripped the curtains down from the small window and wrapped them around me in the same amount of time it took Gourry to blink wide eyed and blush furiously. Too angry to pound him to a pulp for a even a millisecond of a peep, I pushed past him roughly and walked directly at the door. "Lina… Lina wait!" He stood as fast as he could, stumbling slightly and grabbed me. I felt myself falling as his loss of balance affected my own.  
We both went down, hard onto the bathroom floor, his hand still firmly gripping my arm. I felt a thud and opened my eyes, only to gaze directly into his as his body fell right over the top of mine. I burned furiously underneath him as I took a sharp intake of breath. I would have kicked him off of me, If only I could move.

Gourry's face mimicked mine but then it turned serious when he finally assumed he was safe from a fireball. "I don't understand Lina."

"That's the problem." I said before I could stop myself. He gave me a quizzical look and I just looked away. His face so close to mine, feeling the heat from his near naked body, something inside me began to churn, so much that I nearly started to cry. "Gourry…" I said quietly. Before I knew it, I found myself reaching upward to run my hand through the hair falling over the front of his shoulder.

"Miss Lina!" Amelia's voice could be heard from outside the door. "Eh, there's a sealing spell on the door. Do you really need that much privacy?" She began to chant a counter spell at the same time I pushed myself away from Gourry, gripping onto the shower curtain. As she twister the door handle to enter, I grabbed it as well and forced her back. Gourry whirled around to watch me. "Lina-san?" Amelia asked once she realized someone had a grip on the handle from the other side.

"Yah." My voice came out horse so I cleared my throat and tried again. "Yeah." I said again.

"Food's ready, are you done?" I lowered my head and glanced back at a confused and sad looking Gourry still halfway sitting on the floor staring at my back.

"Yeah…" I turned my head fully around to look at him, staring him straight into the eyes. "I'm done." I opened the door and slammed it shut before he could finish calling out my name, tugging Amelia away with me.

**Authors Note:  
**At this point in the story, Lina has come to terms with her feelings, and Gourry shows signs of his. Like how he reacted when he was Zelgadis kissing Lina outside the hotel one night when he called her out to talk to her about their travelings and what's been happening. He walked away, not saying anything, he only had this look on his face that caught Lina so off guard, she couldn't go after him and was frozen to the spot. After that, Gourry can't figure out why a scene like that would annoy him, because he hasn't really admitted or come to the realization of his feelings yet, which annoys Lina to no end that he acts a certain why but wont admit why.


	9. Denial

_**Miniature 9**_  
_ Title: Denial_  
_Characters: Lina, Gourry, Zelgadis. _  
_Pairing: LinaxGourry_  
_ POV: Gourry _  
_Timeline: After a huge battle taking place after the TRY season._

I set down the glass cup on the table. My fingers slid along its smooth surface but I never took them off. I just let them rest there gently. Lina's sleeping figure was caught in its reflection. I stood immobile, watching her sleep through the foggy image. A clunking noise in the background and a sudden splash made Lina look as though she was now fast asleep in liquid rubies. Zelgadis filled the cup with red juice.

"You know..." He said now filling his own glass with the beverage. "It's normal to be concerned about her after what happened, but pretty soon you'll become a stalker." I tore my fixed eyes and body away from that spot to resume cleaning dishes.

"I don't know what you're talking about..."

"Look," He said leaning against the counter by my side and handing me the empty pitcher to rinse. "When are you going to tell her?" I cocked my right eyebrow as I turned to face him.

"Tell her what?" I asked honestly. He looked at me in surprise, something that people don't do very often, and definitely not because I don't understand something, but when I do.

"Gourry, you're dumber than I thought."


End file.
